(2005) 3.5 Cammila Collar Joss Whedon's feature-film adaptation of his much-loved television program Firefly marks his big-screen directorial debut. The movie may enchant some newcomers, but it was obviously constructed primarily for the enjoyment of the series' hardcore fan base. This can create a very sharp divide among viewers, as pre-existing fans will most likely remain enthusiastically approving of the film, while outsiders will probably find it less compelling, despite some backstory offered in the narrative to let its story potentially stand alone. This may be a simple matter of target audience, however, as Serenity unabashedly offers itself directly to its cult followers -- though it gracefully avoids indulging in the in-jokes that rendered the Star Trek: The Next Generation movie franchise too embarrassing for general consumption. Nathan Fillion, the only member of this ensemble cast that could arguably be described as a protagonist, delivers a likable and nuanced performance as Mal, the ragged captain of the freighter ship for which the movie is named. Mal's resilience is tempered with a wry cynicism as well as with a humanity that only selectively becomes more than a subtle internalization. The surrounding cast members offer nothing less than their absolute best performances as well, though fans may be disappointed that the time limits don't allow all characters extensive screen time. The fight, flight, and general action sequences in Serenity are beyond engaging, and the resolution of each would cause any enthusiastic audience to erupt in applause. The plot itself is smartly written, exploring and explaining cliff-hanging elements of the series that would no doubt have been fleshed-out had the show not been canceled. It brings each of the characters -- all of whom are portrayed with elegance and affection -- to a completely new place both personally and logistically. This is what makes Serenity so much more than an elongated episode of Firefly: the landscape in which the story takes place has been reformed, creating in many ways a completely different world for these people to explore. In the end, Joss Whedon triumphantly breaks new ground in the genre of science fiction, defying all odds to tell his story. It's very possible that even some sci-fi fans who've never seen Firefly could enjoy coming along for the ride. It's refreshing to see a universe that is neither utopian nor dystopian, characters who are both flawed and forgivable, and a sense that none of us are safe, but none of us will survive without hope that we will be.

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Serenity (2005)

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Serenity

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Adult Humor
Adult Situations
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Sexual Situations
Violence

genres

Science Fiction

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category

Feature

directed by

Joss Whedon

countries

USA

release date

September 30, 2005 (USA)

run time

119 min.

released by

Universal Pictures

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	Title/Studio	Release Date
	Serenity [2 Discs] [Includes Digital Copy] [UltraViolet] [Blu-ray/DVD] Universal Studios More	June 25, 2013

	Serenity [With Movie Cash] [Blu-ray] Universal Studios More	April 22, 2012

	Serenity [WS] [With Movie Cash] Universal Studios More	July 10, 2011

	Serenity [2 Discs] [With Tech Support for Dummies Trial] [Blu-ray/DVD] Universal Studios More	June 28, 2011

	Serenity [P&S] Universal Studios More	August 2, 2009

	Serenity [P&S] Universal Studios More	February 27, 2009

	Serenity [Blu-ray] Universal Pictures More	January 5, 2009

	Serenity [WS] [Blu-ray] Universal Studios More	December 30, 2008

	Serenity [With Movie Cash] Universal Studios More	June 1, 2008

	Serenity [Collector's Edition] [2 Discs] Universal Studios More	August 21, 2007

	Serenity [HD] Universal More	November 13, 2006

	Serenity/The Chronicles of Riddick [2 Discs] Universal Studios Home Video More	April 25, 2006

	Serenity/The Chronicles of Riddick [2 Discs] MCA Home Video More	April 25, 2006

	Serenity [HD] MCA Home Video More	April 18, 2006

	Serenity Universal More	February 27, 2006

	Serenity [P&S] Universal Studios More	December 20, 2005

	Serenity [UMD] Universal Studios More	December 20, 2005

	Serenity [WS] Universal Studios More	December 20, 2005

	Serenity [Blu-ray] Universal Studios More